How to Grow Garlic: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planting Organic Seed Garlic
Growing your own garlic starts months before the first bulb comes out of the ground.
For most gardeners, garlic planting begins in the fall. You plant individual cloves, let them establish roots before winter, and then wait for them to begin growing again when warmer weather arrives in spring.
By the following summer, those single cloves can become full bulbs of garlic ready for your kitchen.
If you're wondering how to grow garlic, when to plant garlic, or how to choose the best organic seed garlic for fall planting, here's a straightforward guide from Mad River Garlic Growers.
Why Grow Your Own Garlic?
Garlic is one of those crops that makes gardening feel a little bit like magic.
You start with one clove.
You put it in the soil in the fall.
Months later, you dig up an entire bulb.
Growing your own garlic also gives you the opportunity to try garlic varieties you may never find at a grocery store.
Different types of garlic can vary considerably in:
- Flavor
- Heat
- Clove sizeÂ
- Bulb size
- Color
- Storage life
- Growing characteristics
Once you begin experimenting with different hardneck garlic and softneck garlic varieties, it's easy to understand why garlic growers rarely stop at just one.
When Should You Plant Garlic?
One of the most common questions we receive is: when should I plant garlic?
In most areas of the United States, garlic is planted in the fall.
Planting garlic before winter gives the cloves time to begin developing roots before colder temperatures arrive.
The exact timing depends on your climate and growing zone.
Gardeners in colder northern climates generally plant earlier than gardeners in warmer areas.
That's why Mad River Garlic Growers ships organic seed garlic according to planting regions. We want your garlic to arrive around the appropriate time for planting in your part of the country.
So if your garlic hasn't shipped yet, don't worry.
It may simply not be time to plant in your area yet.
Step 1: Choose Quality Seed Garlic
A successful garlic crop starts with what you plant.
Rather than planting garlic from the grocery store, choose seed garlic specifically grown for planting.
Mad River Garlic Growers specializes in certified organic seed garlic grown in the USA on our Ohio farm.
Starting with quality seed garlic gives you the opportunity to select varieties based on your climate, garden and flavor preferences.
Step 2: Choose a Sunny Location
Garlic likes sunshine.
Choose an area of your garden that receives plenty of direct sunlight and has well-draining soil.
Drainage is especially important.
Garlic needs moisture to grow, but cloves sitting in constantly wet soil can struggle.
Before planting, loosen and prepare your soil so your garlic has room to establish strong roots.
Step 3: Separate the Garlic Bulbs Into Cloves
Don't separate your garlic bulbs weeks before planting.
Wait until you're close to planting time.
Gently break each bulb into individual cloves while keeping the papery skin around the cloves intact.
Each individual clove becomes one garlic plant.
And each healthy garlic plant has the potential to produce an entire bulb.
Step 4: Plant Garlic Pointed Side Up
If you're wondering how to plant garlic cloves, here's the easy part.
Look at the clove.
You'll notice one end comes to a point and the other has a flatter root end.
Plant it:
Pointy end UP
Root end DOWN
Then cover it with soil.
Simple.
Step 5: Give Your Garlic Enough Space
Garlic plants need room to develop underground.
Don't crowd the cloves together.
Adequate spacing gives individual plants room to develop roots and bulbs without competing excessively with neighboring plants.
Spacing requirements may vary somewhat depending on your growing conditions and the garlic variety you are planting.
Step 6: Mulch Your Garlic
Mulching is particularly useful when growing garlic in colder climates.
A layer of straw or similar mulch can help insulate the soil and reduce the effects of repeated freezing and thawing.
In northern climates, mulch is often added once the ground has begun freezing.
Mulch can also help suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.
Step 7: Fertilize Garlic in the Spring
When warmer temperatures arrive and you begin seeing green garlic growth, your plants are entering an important period of development.
Garlic generally benefits from nitrogen during its early spring growth.
An appropriate organic fertilizer for garlic can help support healthy leaves and vigorous plants.
Those green leaves matter because they're helping the plant produce the energy needed to develop the bulb underneath the soil.
Step 8: Water Consistently
Garlic has a relatively shallow root system, which means it can be affected by extended dry periods.
Water enough to keep your soil consistently moist, but avoid keeping it waterlogged.
Good drainage and consistent watering are a much better combination than alternating between extremely dry and saturated soil.
Step 9: Watch for Garlic Scapes
If you're growing hardneck garlic, there's an extra treat waiting for you.
Garlic scapes.
Scapes are the flowering stalks produced by hardneck garlic.
They're also edible.
Many gardeners harvest the scapes while they're still young and tender and use them in pesto, stir-fries, grilled dishes and other recipes.
Removing scapes can also allow the garlic plant to focus more of its energy on bulb development.
Step 10: Know When to Harvest Garlic
The hardest part about growing garlic might be waiting.
Garlic is usually harvested from late spring through summer depending on your location, variety and planting time.
Rather than relying strictly on a calendar date, watch the leaves.
When the lower leaves begin turning brown while several of the upper leaves remain green, your garlic may be approaching harvest time.
Carefully loosen the soil around a bulb to see how it's developing.
When you're ready to harvest, gently dig the bulbs instead of pulling aggressively on the stems.
Step 11: Cure Your Garlic
You grew it.
You harvested it.
Now don't skip the final step.
Curing garlic properly helps it store longer.
After harvesting, place the garlic in a dry, well-ventilated location away from direct sunlight.
Leave the tops attached while the garlic cures.
Once the outer layers and tops have dried, the garlic can be cleaned and prepared for storage.
Step 12: Store Your Garlic Properly
After curing, keep garlic somewhere cool and dry with good airflow.
Storage life varies depending on the garlic variety.
That brings us to one of the biggest decisions new garlic growers face.
Hardneck Garlic vs. Softneck Garlic
There are two primary groups of garlic growers will encounter: hardneck garlic and softneck garlic.
Hardneck Garlic
Hardneck garlic develops a firm central stalk.
It is especially popular in northern growing regions and tends to perform well in colder climates.
Hardneck garlic is also the garlic that produces those wonderful spring scapes.
Many hardneck varieties are known for large cloves and strong, distinctive flavors.
Softneck Garlic
Softneck garlic generally prefers somewhat milder growing conditions.
It usually produces more cloves per bulb and many softneck varieties offer excellent storage life.
Softneck garlic is also commonly used for garlic braids because the stems remain flexible.
Which Garlic Variety Should You Grow?
That's the fun part.
You don't necessarily have to choose only one.
Mad River Garlic Growers offers a wide range of organic garlic varieties, including hardneck and softneck options.
Varieties such as Music, Chesnok Red, Spanish Roja, Romanian Red, Inchelium Red, Metechi, Russian Red and German White each bring different characteristics to the garden and kitchen.
One variety might become your favorite for roasting.
Another might be the one you reach for when you want bold garlic flavor.
Another may become the variety you grow because it performs especially well in your garden.
Try an Organic Garlic Variety Pack
If you're not sure what garlic to grow, an Organic Garlic Variety Pack can be a great starting point.
Rather than committing your whole garden to one garlic variety, you can plant several and compare them.
Pay attention to:
- How quickly they emerge
- How they handle your climate
- Bulb size
- Clove size
- Flavor
- Storage life
- Overall performance in your garden
Over time, you'll start discovering which varieties work best for you.
First Time Growing Garlic?
You don't have to be an experienced gardener to grow garlic.
Our First-Time Grower Pack was created specifically for gardeners who want to try growing garlic without having to figure out exactly which varieties to buy first.
You can plant several types, learn how they grow and discover what you like.
That's part of the fun of gardening.
Growing Garlic in Warmer Climates
Garlic isn't only for northern gardens.
Gardeners in warmer climates can grow garlic too, although variety selection and cold exposure become more important.
Some garlic requires a period of colder temperatures—a process known as vernalization—to encourage proper bulb formation.
If you live in a warmer growing region, understanding your local climate and selecting appropriate garlic varieties can help improve your results.
Why Certified Organic Seed Garlic?
For many gardeners, growing food is about knowing where that food comes from.
Starting with certified organic seed garlic gives you control over the process from the beginning.
At Mad River Garlic Growers, our garlic is grown on our Ohio farm and sold specifically for gardeners who want to plant garlic of their own.
From the seed garlic you put into the ground this fall to the bulb you pull from the soil next summer, you get to be part of the entire process.
Get Your Garlic Before It's Gone
Garlic is a seasonal crop.
We harvest it once a year, and individual varieties can sell out as the planting season progresses.
If you're planning to grow organic garlic this fall, don't wait until your favorite variety is gone.
Choose your garlic.
Prepare your garden.
Plant this fall.
And next summer, you could be harvesting garlic you grew yourself.
Shop Organic Seed Garlic for Fall Planting
Explore our selection of certified organic seed garlic, hardneck garlic, softneck garlic, garlic variety packs and Grower Packs.
